Ken Robertson, communications manager at Paddy Power, which describes itself as the fourth-largest bookmaker in the UK, said: 'With novelty bets like this we tend to put our best guess forward and then let the flow of the money dictate the changes.

'We have only had two bets on Westminster. Several hundred people have placed bets on Manchester Civil Justic Centre.'

But, he said, the levelling of betting is fairly low. 'We won't be retiring on the proceeds,' he added.

Subscribe to the AJ

The Architects’ Journal is the UK’s best-selling weekly architecture magazine and is the voice of architecture in Britain

About the Architects' Journal

The Architects' Journal is the voice of architecture in Britain. We sit at the heart of the debate about British architecture and British cities, and form opinions across the whole construction industry on design-related matters